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Tag: Bradenton Beach

Editorial: Signed palm tree agreement better late than never

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

The now-signed maintenance, indemnification and hold harmless agreement for the flawed Bridge Street coconut palm tree planting project lists April 1 as the project commencement date, which fittingly coincides with April Fool’s Day.

But Mayor John Chappie and the city’s witness, City Clerk Terri Sanclemente, didn’t sign and fully execute the agreement until May 28 – nearly two months after the listed commencement date.

On May 15, City Attorney Ricinda Perry told The Sun a “signed agreement” existed but a copy couldn’t be provided until Sanclemente returned from vacation on May 28. Local developer and project partner Shawn Kaleta might have signed the agreement on behalf of his Beach to Bay Construction Limited Liability Corporation in mid-May, as Perry’s emails indicate, but the agreement wasn’t legally enforceable until Chappie and Sanclemente signed it.

We appreciate Sanclemente promptly providing a copy of the fully executed agreement upon her return. We thank her for acknowledging that she and Chappie signed the agreement that day and for providing additional project-related documents and answers to our questions. Sanclemente did her job, while others associated with the project failed miserably.

Of the 70 coconut palms planted on and around Bridge Street, one already fell on a Bridge Street sidewalk and 22 others were removed from Gulf Drive South and replanted elsewhere along Bridge Street because FDOT doesn’t allow coconut palms and their falling coconuts and palm fronds along state-owned roads. Bradenton Beach leaders apparently don’t share similar safety concerns about city-owned Bridge Street.

During the month-long gap between the plantings and the mayor’s signature, would the city have been solely responsible for any palm tree-related deaths, injuries or property damage that occurred before the agreement became legally binding?

The Perry-drafted agreement includes indemnification language designed to protect the city from project-related lawsuits. An indemnification clause doesn’t prevent the city from being named in a lawsuit. It simply means the city can try to recoup its lawsuit-related losses from Kaleta and his roster of attorneys. That’s a risky proposition for a city financially desperate enough to sign over control of city-owned assets in exchange for shared project costs.

Perry and her elected accomplices are taking liberties with taxpayer assets that might get them removed by shareholders if they sat on a private sector board of directors. A misguided tree-planting project isn’t the worst sin a local government can commit, but the city attorney shouldn’t be leading the lackadaisical mayor and commissioners by their noses in her efforts to broker questionable public-private partnerships.

This fiasco prompted some Sun readers to call for Perry’s termination and Chappie’s resignation. Neither of those scenarios are likely, but maybe the light shined on this botched affair will cause all involved to think twice before pursuing another partnership with Team Kaleta.

Palm tree landscaper awaiting payment from city

Palm tree landscaper awaiting payment from city

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Since April 24, Miguel Mancera’s landscaping crews have been busy laying stone, planting and, in some cases, removing and replanting multiple coconut palm trees on and around Bridge Street.

Mancera, the owner of M&F Lawn Care in Bradenton, sent an invoice to the city on April 19 for a $25,000 down payment toward the $50,000 cost of the trees and landscaping work, and as of May 30, he said he has not received payment.

“I have payroll to meet every week,” Mancera said, adding he has 12 employees. “They haven’t paid me yet. I called Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) and she is supposed to talk to Thompson (City Treasurer Shayne Thompson).

Mancera said he paid for the stone and trees out of pocket in anticipation of payment by the city.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but it cost more than half (of the $50,000),” he said. “There was more than 20 yards of rock, so that was $6,000 just for the rock.”

M&F Lawn Care was hired by the city to plant up to 80 coconut palm trees on and around Bridge Street, as well as to lay white river rock.

The tree planting project is a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta. According to the city clerk, Kaleta made his agreed-upon donation of $10,000 toward the project on April 10.

Palm tree landscaper awaiting payment from city
Some of the coconut palm trees that were removed from Gulf Drive South were replanted along the approach to the Bradenton Beach Pier. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Mancera, who has done work for both the city and Kaleta, said he had been contacted by Perry and Kaleta for the tree project.

“They called me up and I met them a couple of times on Bridge Street so they could show me where to plant the trees,” he said.

On May 24, Mancera’s crews were back to remove what he said were 22 of the coconut palms that they had planted in the roundabout and traffic islands of Gulf Drive South as part of the project.

The trees were removed after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) informed the city that coconut palms were not allowed on state roads due to safety concerns about sight lines along with falling palm fronds and coconuts. That section of Gulf Drive South falls under the jurisdiction of the FDOT.

“We took out 22 trees and we replanted 18,” Mancera said. “Some were replanted on Bridge Street, some in front of the parking lot at the Pines Trailer Park and some along the pier across from the oyster restaurant (Anna Maria Oyster Bar). I don’t know about the other four.”

The city clerk sent The Sun a copy of the April 19 M&F Lawn Care invoice which showed a total cost of $50,000 for the landscaping and planting of the palm trees. M&F had requested a $25,000 down payment which was due within 30 days or subject to a 1.5% late charge.

The invoice was marked with a handwritten: “OK to pay. JRC (Mayor John Chappie’s initials).” The city clerk confirmed by email on May 30 that payment had not been made.

Editorial: Signed palm tree agreement better late than never

City releases signed coconut palms agreement

Editorial: Palm trees and other shady endeavors

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place

Expert outlines optimum coconut palm maintenance

Signed palm tree agreement remains elusive

Least tern colony thriving on beach

Least tern colony thriving on beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Birds, Outdoors.

BRADENTON BEACH – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring reports that a colony of least terns on the beach is thriving.

As of May 24, there are 15 birds on nests and 29 individuals inside the fenced-off area. One nest has been lost to an unknown cause, according to a release from Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella.

“There are still some individuals courting and making scrapes (nests) so it’s possible there may be more nests in the coming days,” Mazzarella wrote. “As of yet, we have no chicks, but the first few nests should be due very soon.”

In an effort to keep new chicks from traveling out of the posted area towards the busy 27th Street beach access, Turtle Watch volunteers have installed “chick fencing,” as chicks are mobile soon after they hatch and are likely to leave the posted area.

“We ask folks to keep their distance from this posted colony as the birds are very susceptible to disturbance and we want them to stay on their nests to protect the eggs from heat and predators,” Mazzarella wrote.

Editorial: Palm trees and other shady endeavors

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Someone once posed the question: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”

The Sun poses a similar question: If the city attorney says there’s a signed agreement for the ill-fated Bridge Street palm tree planting project but nobody has seen it, does the agreement really exist?

In early April, the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) that includes the mayor and city commissioners approved planting 80 coconut palm trees along Bridge Street. According to City Attorney Ricinda Perry, the CRA was to contribute $40,000 toward the project and developer Shawn Kaleta and/or one of his LLCs would kick in another $10,000.

Perry told the CRA members there would be a signed maintenance, indemnification and hold harmless agreement in place before the trees were planted. The trees were planted in late April with no signed agreement in place.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the new palms toppled onto a Bridge Street sidewalk and had to be replanted.

Last week, FDOT told the city to remove the new palms planted in the Gulf Drive-Bridge Street roundabout.

Gulf Drive is a state road and FDOT doesn’t allow coconut palms to be planted along state-owned roads because they limit visibility and contain large falling objects like coconuts and palm fronds.

You’d think someone with the city or the city’s often-contracted landscaper would have known about this pesky little state rule – or at least checked to see if there was such a pesky little state rule. But that kind of foresight doesn’t mesh with the city’s “You can do it right when you do it over” approach to project management.

So now we know that coconut palms aren’t cool along a state road but they’re still OK standing alongside the highly-traveled, highly-populated city-owned Bridge Street.

To date, Perry and the city have not provided The Sun with a copy of the signed agreement, despite the multiple public records requests made during a two-week period. Perry told us we had to wait until the city clerk returns from her vacation on May 28 before we can see the elusive signed document.

The Florida Public Records Act says the city has to promptly acknowledge public records requests, respond in good faith and make “reasonable efforts” to figure out who has the requested document and where it’s stashed. City officials who break the state law can be fined $500 or removed from office if they try really hard to hide or withhold the requested document.

Perry and Mayor John Chappie were copied on our multiple and still ongoing requests for a signed agreement. Perry gave us an incomplete and unsigned draft version of the agreement that didn’t mention the project partner’s name. She also sent us some emails that showed us how hard she tried to collaborate with Team Kaleta’s lawyers to make this deal happen.

According to the unsigned version of the agreement, Team Kaleta is supposed to maintain the palm trees at their expense for the next 30 years. The unsigned agreement doesn’t specifically mention coconuts or palm fronds and it doesn’t specifically require Team Kaleta to pluck those pesky buggers from the trees before they drop on some unlucky person’s head, child or 1962 Corvette.

The unsigned agreement does however require Team Kaleta to comply with reference Exhibit A – a blank space that calls for a yet-to-be-seen site plan that shows specifically where each new tree was planted – and Exhibit B: “Guidelines for the Management of Coconut Palms.”

The “Guidelines” inform us that coconut palms can grow to be over 100 feet tall, may live 100 years and “regularly shed coconuts and large fronds, which may expose people and property to injury and damage.”

The all-knowing ‘Guidelines” also say, “To minimize this risk, coconuts and fronds must be regularly removed prior to their fall. In certain instances, coconut palms may possess structural defects that increase the risk of failure of a portion or all of the palm.”

Thank you, wise city leaders. What could go wrong?

The “Guidelines” say any coconut palms that show serious defects, conditions or weather damage must be removed (by Team Kaleta) within 14 days of being told to do so. Given that one tree already toppled onto a Bridge Street sidewalk on a sunny day, what’s the over/under on how many palms are going down during our upcoming “more active than usual” hurricane season?

In the absence of the signed agreement, it appears the first tree likely fell before the agreement was signed and dated by Chappie and Team Kaleta. If that first falling tree injured a person, place or thing with no signed agreement yet in place, who would have been liable – the city, Kaleta or both?

The unsigned agreement is also supposed to indemnify (lawyer-speak for “protect”) the city and the CRA against any future liabilities and lawsuits associated with the troublesome palm trees. If someone or something gets clocked by a falling tree, frond or coconut, that unfortunate soul gets to do battle with Team Kaleta’s army of lawyers, while the city sits on the sideline screaming, “Leave us alone, we’re indemnified!”

Mayor Chappie frequently laments the negative impacts that super-sized short-term vacation rental homes, aka “party houses,” have on Bradenton Beach’s residential neighborhoods, but he’s OK taking project money from the Island’s biggest developer of “party houses.”

Instead of sharpening their pencils and wisely managing CRA and city funds for future projects, the mayor and city commissioners are taking the lazy and easy way out by enabling Perry to pursue funding partnerships with Team Kaleta.

In the past year or so, Perry proposed the CRA or city partner with Team Kaleta to improve the city-owned parking lot near the Team Kaleta-owned marina. She also suggested the city partner with Team Kaleta for a Team Kaleta-controlled mooring field near the pier.

In early April – the same day she proposed the ill-advised, poorly-executed palm tree project – Perry proposed the CRA partner with Team Kaleta to install a waterfront pedestrian path that runs from Team Kaleta’s marina, past Team Kaleta’s mobile home park and ends at the city-owned pier.

Who is Perry working for? The city or Team Kaleta? When proposing these public-private partnerships, she sings the praises of a developer good-hearted enough to help fund CRA and city projects, but what she, the mayor and the city commission are really doing is selling the city down the Intracoastal Waterway.

Somehow, the sister cities of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach manage to fund their capital projects without financial aid from Team Kaleta. And in both those cities, the city attorneys focus on the basics – providing legal advice and legal services to their respective city leaders and city staff.

In most cities, a city attorney’s sole job is to dispense legal knowledge. City attorneys don’t usually serve as de facto city managers, project managers and project initiators. But in Perry’s defense, she’s just filling the leadership void created by Bradenton Beach’s weak mayor form of city government, and the weak mayor and weak commission gladly let her do it.

With the threat of state-imposed consolidation looming over the three AMI cities, there’s chatter in local political circles that Chappie wants to serve as the Island-wide mayor if that happens. That leadership scenario might scare some folks, but Island Mayor Chappie and Island Attorney Perry could then partner with Team Kaleta to plant coconut palms and other seeds of dissent throughout the rest of the consolidation fiefdom.

Signed palm tree agreement remains elusive

Expert outlines optimum coconut palm maintenance

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – With 80 coconut palms planted on Bridge Street last month, questions have arisen among commissioners, downtown merchants and residents about the safety of the trees and their potential for falling fruit and limbs.

Brian Bahder, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), whose research includes the study of diseases and parasites infecting palm trees and other tropical plants, responded by email to questions from The Sun about the characteristics of coconut palm trees.

Bahder is affiliated with the Fort Lauderdale Education and Research Center. Among the program efforts there are general maintenance and diseases of palms.

According to Bahder, the fruit from the coconut palm tree can range anywhere from 1 pound to the size of a soccer ball weighing from 5-10 pounds.

“Removal of the fruit on a regular basis is needed. It is easiest before fruit set, so as soon as an inflorescence (flowering) emerges, remove it (ideally before it opens up),” Bahder wrote.

The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approved on April 3 the planting of the coconut palm trees in a partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta based on the assurance of City Attorney Ricinda Perry that a signed maintenance, hold harmless and indemnification agreement would be in place prior to the trees being planted, and that Kaleta would be responsible for tree maintenance and liability for any damage caused by the trees.

As of May 26, that agreement has not been made available to The Sun, despite multiple requests.

The typical coconut production per tree can vary, according to Bahder.

“Each palm’s annual production is also variable on things like age, cultivar, health, location, but once mature, start producing regularly; the range is 50 to 200 coconuts per year,” he wrote. “In cultivation where palms are properly maintained and cared for, I have seen up to 60 or 70 fruit on a single inflorescence (the flower head of a plant).”

Bahder wrote that mature coconut palm trees will produce flowers and fruit year-round.

“The rate will change, it is obviously slower in the cooler, drier months and more rapid in summer. Generally, the fruit set tends to be better in warmer months also,” he wrote.

Bahder recommended planting mature palm trees prior to rainy season and to be mindful of hurricane season.

“If it is a large plant that is transplanted, April is probably better. This way it is in the ground for when the rains begin in April to May, that way it has access to more regular water and helps it establish faster,” he wrote. “However, you can plant whenever as long as you water regularly to get it established. I would probably avoid planting large palms in August and September (peak hurricane season). If they are not rooted and we get hit they could get blown over easier.”

The coconut palms on Bridge Street were planted the week of April 24 and are on a regular watering schedule. The installation of an irrigation system on Bridge Street was discussed at a recent CRA meeting.

Bahder said coconut palms typically do well in the southern third of Florida.

Related coverage:

Editorial: Palm trees and other shady endeavors

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place

No signed agreement released on palm trees

Signed palm tree agreement remains elusive

 

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – In what Mayor John Chappie characterized as a “mistake,” the city learned the hard way that coconut palm trees are not allowed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on Gulf Drive South (State Road 789).

The coconut palm trees that were planted the week of April 24 along the Gulf Drive roundabout and traffic islands at the end of Bridge Street were removed on May 24 after it was determined by FDOT that planting the species was not in compliance with state regulations.

“There’s a right tree in the right place, but this is the wrong tree in the wrong place,” FDOT District One Scenic Highway Coordinator Darryl Richard said on May 24.

That section of Gulf Drive falls under the jurisdiction of FDOT.

“The city didn’t apply for a permit, but even if they had, coconut palms are a species that are not allowed there based on FDOT standards and public safety,” Richard said.

Richard said coconut palms violate sight line and vertical clear zone regulations, making them a safety issue for motorists. Another safety concern with the tree is falling coconuts, he said.

“Palm fronds that would fall into the roadway as well as vertical clearance are safety issues,” Richard said. “Coconuts are also one of the safety factors that could present problems.”

Richard said all his correspondence with the city has been verbal and he met with the mayor earlier in the week.

“He (Mayor Chappie) realized the mistake and decided to remove the palms,” Richard said.

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place
Mayor John Chappie, left, is on Bridge Street as the coconut palm trees are removed on Gulf Drive South. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Chappie was on-site during tree removal and spoke to The Sun.

“I won’t make that mistake again,” Chappie said. “FDOT has been really great about explaining and working with us to take care of this.”

The trees were moved by a loader and placed in piles at the paid parking lot owned by Shawn Kaleta at the corner of Bridge Street and Gulf Drive.

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place
The removed trees were transported to a temporary resting place. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Chappie didn’t know the exact number of trees being relocated but, according to a site plan prepared by City Attorney Ricinda Perry, there were more than 15 trees.

“We have to be careful of the location because FDOT rules and regulations are pretty strict about sight vision. And that’s what we’re doing,” Chappie said.

Chappie said the trees that were removed will be replanted on Bridge Street.

“We’re just filling everything in,” Chappie said. “If we want to plant some trees, we have to fill out a plan submittal for anything over 24 inches.”

Pictures of the trees being removed and the circumstances surrounding their removal were posted on May 24 on the Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page, and the coconut telegraph was busy.

“People are already trying to dodge palm fronds to be able to walk down Bridge Street. Should be interesting to see when the coconuts start falling,” Gay Rosnett wrote.

Jeremy Williams wrote, “This whole thing is an embarrassment. The mayor should resign. Lotta funny business mixed up in here.”

FDOT: Wrong trees, wrong place
The removed coconut palms were initially placed in a nearby paid parking lot. – Leslie Lake

The trees that were removed were among the 80 coconut palm trees that were planted in the Bridge Street area in April.

The installation of the trees and a private/public partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta were approved at an April 3 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting following assurances by Perry that a maintenance, hold harmless and indemnification agreement signed by Kaleta would be in place prior to planting in which Kaleta would assume responsibility for maintenance and liability for any damage caused by the palm trees.

As of May 26, after multiple Sunshine Law public records requests by The Sun for a copy of the agreement beginning on May 6, the city has not provided the document.

The question remains as to who would be liable for any damage or injuries caused by the trees.

On May 24, while at the site of the tree removal, Chappie was asked again about the whereabouts of the signed agreement. He deferred questions to Perry.

Related coverage: 

Editorial: Palm trees and other shady endeavors

No signed agreement released on palm trees

Expert outlines optimum coconut palm maintenance

Signed palm tree agreement remains elusive

Bridge Street Merchants plans monthly street festival

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Entertainment, Festivals.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Bridge Street Merchants Association (BSMA) has big plans for the coming year, including monthly street parties on Bridge Street.

The new monthly event, billed as “Sun Down Get Down,” will be held on the third Thursday of each month beginning on July 18.

“Our plan is for Bridge Street to be closed to traffic and to allow open containers during the event like most small-town street festivals,” BSMA President Derek Williams, owner of the Drift In, wrote in a press release to The Sun. “Each month will have a theme and there will be incentives to visit the merchants. You will see everything from pirates to classic cars, power boats to Spanish galleons, Privateers to conquistadors. Of course each night at sundown, we are bringing back an old Bradenton Beach favorite, the Green Flash beverage.”

BSMA was founded 20 years ago by Angela Rodocker, owner of Bridge Walk Resort, and other local business owners, to bring awareness to the Bridge Street area. Participation in the organization has diminished over the years and came to a near-stop during COVID in 2020, according to Williams.

“Clearly the biggest challenge was lack of participation and engagement by merchants and willingness to make ongoing investments of time and money while running their own businesses,” Williams wrote.

The group took a new approach by promoting specific businesses each week in radio ads and highlighting their participation in Christmas on Bridge Street and the Christmas Boat Parade events. As a result of that advertising, the 2023 schedule had some of the best-attended events seen in years.

“Heading into 2024 we used that momentum and decided to think bigger and year-round,” Williams wrote. “Attracting customers during “season” was one challenge, but how could we get locals and tourists to enjoy and support the area during the slower months?”

City officials and merchants came together and held roundtable meetings and the result is a reorganized BSMA, according to Williams, with a commitment to monthly event schedules, the outsourcing of event management and the chance for outside sponsorship to help with funding.

“We expect over 25 new members to BSMA and hope to raise over $150,000 in annual sponsorship and support,” Williams wrote. “BSMA membership costs will remain reasonable and economical, allowing for businesses of all sizes to participate thanks to our new model for raising funds and utilizing sponsorships to fund events.”

BSMA has received a $15,000 sponsorship from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Williams hopes the city of Bradenton Beach will increase its sponsorship beyond the $40,000 the CRA spends annually on Christmas decorations and seasonal events.

“I’m confident the CRA can find an additional $25,000 annually to help the business community bring life to our little beach town,” Williams wrote. “My goodness, if they can find money for palm trees and water trucks at the last minute, I’m confident they can get behind this new initiative,” Williams wrote.

With parking a challenge in the Bridge Street area, BSMA has created a transportation committee that is working with the City of Bradenton Beach and Manatee County to offer newly designated parking areas, trolley stops, ferry stops, bikes and golf carts.

The 2024 BSMA leadership team includes Williams, Vice President Angela Rodocker and Secretary/Treasurer Beth Vidmar of Paradise Boat Tours.

Two new websites have been launched to support the efforts – HistoricBridgeStreet.com and SunDownGetDown.com.

Candidate qualifying commences soon

Candidate qualifying commences soon

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The candi­date qualifying periods will soon begin for those seeking election or reelection during the 2024 election cycle.

Anna Maria provides a two-week qualifying period. Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Manatee County provide one-week qualifying periods. All city commission and may­oral terms on the Island are two-year terms.

Pre-qualifying

State law also provides pre-qualify­ing periods for candidates. According to Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office Chief Deputy Sharon Stief, “The pre-qualifying process is set forth in Florida Statute 99.061(8): A qualifying office may accept and hold qualifying papers submitted not earlier than 14 days prior to the beginning of the qualifying period, to be processed and filed during the qualifying period. This is not new. Municipalities that piggyback onto the general election are able to pre-qualify. When the municipality has elections in off years, that provision is not in their charter.”

Form 6

Because of a new state law that took effect on Jan.1, municipal candidates seeking election or reelection to a mayoral or city commission office must, for the first time, file a Form 6 financial disclosure form that lists the candidate’s net worth, all income sources, all debts (except credit cards) and all tangible assets valued at more than $1,000. County commission candidates were already subjected to the Form 6 filing requirements. Learn more about the Form 6 requirements at the Florida Commission on Ethics website.

Anna Maria

The two-week qualifying period in Anna Maria begins on Monday, June 3 at noon and ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. The mayor’s seat currently held by Dan Murphy and the city com­mission seats currently held by Gary McMullen and Mark Short are up for election in November.

Anna Maria City Clerk LeAnne Addy said during the May 9 city commission meeting that the pre-qualifying period begins on May 27. Qualifying packets will be accepted at that time, but Anna Maria candidates will not be considered qualified until the qualify­ing period opens on June 3.

Bradenton Beach

The one-week qualifying period in Bradenton Beach begins on Monday, June 10 at noon and ends on Friday, June 14 at noon.

The Ward 2 commission seat currently held by Marilyn Maro and the Ward 3 commission seat currently held by Ralph Cole are up for election this fall.

Maro has not attended a commis­sion meeting in person in over a year but has attended several meetings by phone.

Holmes Beach

The one-week qualifying period in Bradenton Beach begins on Monday, June 10 at noon and ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. The mayor’s seat cur­rently held by Judy Titsworth and the city commission seats currently held by Dan Diggins and Greg Kerchner are up for election.

Manatee County

The one-week qualifying period for county candidates begins on Monday, June 10 at noon and ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. County offices up for election this fall include the District 1, 3 and 5 county commission seats, the at-large District 7 county commission seat, the offices of the supervisor of elections, the county clerk, the property appraiser, the tax collector and the sheriff, the District 1 and 3 school board seats and West Manatee Fire Rescue board seats 1 and 5.

Registration, party affiliation

Preceded by early voting and mail voting, the Manatee County primary election will conclude on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The deadline to register to vote in the primary, or to change party affiliation for the party-specific primary elections, is Monday, July 22.

Preceded by early and mail voting, the general election will conclude on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, Oct. 7 and party affiliation doesn’t matter in a general election.

To register to vote or to change one’s party affiliation before the county primary, visit the “voter information” link at www.votemanatee.com or visit www.RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov.

For additional qualifying infor­mation regarding city and county races, contact the Supervisor of Elections office or the applicable city clerk’s office.

Captain: Derelict boats looming issue

Captain: Derelict boats looming issue

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Boating, Featured, Outdoors.

CORTEZ – Tour boat Capt. Kathe Fannon is questioning why authorities are focusing on the removal of Raymond “Junior” Guthrie’s net camp from the waters off Cortez while ignoring more than 20 derelict boats in the same waters.

“The net camp is who we are, it’s our heritage,” said Fannon, a fourth-generation Cortezian. “The issue is there are 21 vessels sitting out there. They’re not registered, some have no motors or lights, and nobody is doing anything about it, but they want our net camp down.”

A civil suit against Guthrie was filed on Feb. 6, 2018 in the 12th Judicial Circuit Court when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection claimed that he had constructed an unauthorized enclosed docking structure on sovereign submerged lands in Sarasota Bay, and asked the court for its removal.

Guthrie maintained that his family previously had a net camp in that spot and the structure was protected under the 1921 Butler Act, which awards title of submerged lands to adjacent waterfront property owners who made permanent improvements on the submerged lands.

Net camps are wooden shacks used by fishermen in days past to hang hemp and cotton fishing nets to dry. According to historic photographs, there were once dozens of net camps on Sarasota Bay off Cortez.

On May 7, Judge Edward Nicholas ordered Guthrie to remove the structure within 120 days, making the deadline Sept. 4.

A request to FDEP by The Sun for comment about the process for removing the structure received no response by press time.

“There are also four boats sunk out there. They’re a hazard to navigation and leaking oil and nobody is getting them out of there,” Fannon said. “How are you going to let those boats sit out there when they’re a hazard and an eyesore and the net camp, which is historical to Cortez, has to come down?”

Fannon said she has seen boats from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the U.S. Coast Guard and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in the area, so she said local law enforcement agencies are aware of the derelict vessels.

FWC defines a derelict vessel as one that is wrecked, junked or in substantially dismantled condition in any state waters.

Fannon said seven of the boats moored off the coast of Cortez are being rented out by one individual.

“Bradenton Beach made every one of those people leave,” Fannon said. “And now they’ve moved over to the historical fishing village.”

Captain: Derelict boats looming issue
A historical aerial photograph of Cortez shows multiple net camps off the village’s coast. – Submitted | Manatee County Public Library Historical Image Digital Collection

Bradenton Beach has strict enforcement policies regarding derelict boats in their harbor, and the city’s enforcement extends 500 feet out from shore. The boats off the coast of Cortez are moored beyond that enforcement area and fall under the jurisdiction of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for tagging and then under FWC’s authority for removal.

Another local boat captain who asked not to be identified said, “There is one lady who has been collecting abandoned boats and renting them out. They (the boats) are coming from Bradenton Beach now, people are bringing their boats from the anchorage to the mangrove island” off Cortez.

He said there are two boats with trash tied up in the mangroves, along with an unregistered boat that sank two years ago.

“Every agency I’ve sent messages to can’t do anything. I can report to FWC. All they do is, if they find who’s dumping trash, is write a citation. Does not fix anything. They don’t sticker abandoned boats,” he said. “FWC can only get in here on a high tide.”

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Birds, Featured, Outdoors.

BRADENTON BEACH – The first shorebird nests this year on Anna Maria Island have been spotted and marked by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers.

A colony of least terns began nesting the week of May 6 at an undisclosed location in Bradenton Beach. A state-designated threatened species, least terns last nested on Anna Maria Island in 2021.

As of May 9, there were four nests and 10 individual birds, according to Turtle Watch volunteer Kathy Doddridge. When she first came across the nesting birds, there were only two nests.

Once eggs were located, volunteers marked off the area to protect the nests from human and vehicle interaction.

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers have marked off a least tern nesting site in Bradenton Beach. – Submitted | Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

According to Turtle Watch, previous colonies failed due to the presence of cats and crows, both predators of least terns. Keeping cats indoors and covering garbage to keep away crows are important for keeping the birds safe.

Least tern eggs take about 21 days to hatch. Chicks will then look for places to hide so chick huts have been placed within the perimeter of the marked area to provide shelter and shade. Least terns fly 19-20 days after hatching.

Least terns are protected by both state and federal laws.

Turtle Watch asks beachgoers to abide by the following:

• Keep your distance. If birds become agitated or leave their nests, you are too close. A general rule is to stay at least 300 feet away from a nest.

• Respect posted areas. Avoid posted nesting and resting areas and use designated walkways.

• Teach children to refrain from intentionally forcing birds to fly. When birds are chased or disturbed, they use energy they need to reserve for nesting and migration.

• Pets are not allowed on AMI beaches. Keep dogs and cats off the beach, as even their scent can frighten birds off nests.

• Keep the beach clean and do not feed wildlife. Food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beaches. Litter on beaches can entangle birds.

Police chief says crime is down in Bradenton Beach

Police chief says crime is down in Bradenton Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – Crime is down in Bradenton Beach.

“Last year I stood up here and I told you crime couldn’t go any lower in the city of Bradenton Beach, but our overall crime went down 43.5% from last year,” Police Chief John Cosby said during his annual crime report to the city commission on May 2.

Cosby said local crime statistics are built into the police software and Lt. Lenard Diaz puts the tabulation together and sends reports to federal and state law enforcement agencies. Those agencies then tabulate the statistics and send a report back to Bradenton Beach Police.

“Our property value crime went down. Last year, our stolen property was at $41,000, which is theft and auto burglary,” Cosby said. “This year it was only $4,100 of property taken, so that is a drop of 89%. I’m really happy about that.”

Cosby introduced night shift officers Roy Joslin, Devon Straight, Eric Hill and Ryan Gagliano.

“The weekend night team works from 5 (p.m.) to 7 (a.m.) during the busiest days,” Cosby said.

Cosby encourages his officers to use the community policing model, in which relationships are developed with members of the public.

“I encourage my officers to stop and talk to everybody,” Cosby said. “We’re fortunate we have a lot of longtime officers that people know. We encourage a lot of foot patrol too, on Bridge Street and the pier and even the neighborhoods. Even our newer guys are very friendly and ready to talk and to do their job.”

Cosby said laws are a tool, but officers are mainly looking for compliance.

“Sometimes that doesn’t work and you have to take action and that’s the way it goes,” Cosby said.

He said the biggest enforcement issue may be tourists and drinking.

“They’re getting drunk and they’re getting bulletproof and they like to fight each other, but other than that, we’re doing good,” Cosby said.

“Great job chief and everything you’ve been doing,” Mayor John Chappie said. “I constantly get comments from citizens and businesses, elected officials and the tourists just how happy they are. We’re no longer that pass-through community we used to be, we’re a destination now.”

Chappie said that one of the major goals of the Community Redevelopment Agency was to make the central area of the city a family-friendly environment.

“There was a time a few years ago, when families were out until 7 or 8, that’s when the hard drinking used to start,” Cosby said. “Now we’re seeing young families out until 10 o’clock or so.”

“It is such a transformation,” Chappie said. “This is a celebration of a really great

Bradenton Beach logo

Irrigation system to be installed on Bridge Street

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – The 80 newly-planted palm trees on Bridge Street will need a regular watering schedule, and on May 2, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) unanimously approved the expenditure of up to $7,500 to have an irrigation system installed along both sides of the road.

CRA members discussed the cost of the irrigation system versus the $3,500 three-week rental cost of a water truck.

“The CRA has looked at installing more landscape irrigation on Bridge Street. There’s been a lot of trees installed and some additional bushes,” Perry said. “It’s always become an irrigation issue when we come into that dry spell when we’re not getting rain.”

Water trucks come at a high cost, she said, adding that some water meters already exist on Bridge Street.

“And now we’ve invested the funds for trees which we can continue to water and they should be fine once they take,” Perry said. “In the event we come into a dry streak, I would hate to come into the expense of a water truck when we could get an irrigation system for close to what we would pay for a one-time water truck use.”

Irrigation system to be installed on Bridge Street
A rental water truck operator waters the newly-planted coconut palm trees along Bridge Street early Sunday morning. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Perry said she received an estimate of about $5,000 from M&F Lawn Care for the installation of an irrigation system.

“To me that’s a no-brainer to get that infrastructure in place and we know that we’re investing in the pergola and we will probably be doing some plantings in there,” she said. “I’m looking for an opportunity to strengthen and protect what we’ve invested and I saw this as an opportunity.”

Eighty coconut palm trees were planted in late April along Bridge Street and the Gulf Drive roundabouts in a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta. Kaleta agreed to accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees as well as donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance came from CRA funds.

Mayor John Chappie said that one of the things he looked at was doing the irrigation in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

“We can remove the pavers and dig down in the paver row and then put in the irrigation without cutting into any asphalt,” Mayor John Chappie said. “I would really recommend we do this; it will make a big difference and save us some money.”

CRA member Deborah Scaccianoce said it made sense from a financial perspective to install the irrigation system.

CRA member Ed Chiles made a motion with a second by member Jan Vosburgh to approve the installation of an irrigation system by M&F Lawn at a cost not to exceed $7,500.

There was no public comment and the motion passed unanimously among board members.

Woodard leaving Bradenton Beach

Woodard leaving Bradenton Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – With the city officially announcing the resignation of Public Works Director Tom Woodard at a May 2 commission meeting, it was also announced that Police Chief John Cosby will fill in as interim department head during the search for Woodard’s replacement.

Woodard, who has been with the city for 20 years, is taking a job as Public Works Director in Bedford, Virginia.

Mayor John Chappie said on May 3 that Woodard’s last day with the city will be sometime this month.

Woodard, a lifelong Bradenton resident, said the move has been a family decision.

“I wanted to make a change primarily for my wife and two daughters,” he said. “This has nothing to do with Bradenton Beach. I respect and love everyone here.”

The news of Woodard taking the new position was announced by Bedford in an April press release. He was one of 40 applicants for the position there.

“I’ve been here for 20 years. I’m a little nervous about it, I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. The town there issued a press release before I spoke to anyone here. I sent an email to the mayor, the commissioners and to my staff,” Woodard said.

The press release stated in part: “Throughout his distinguished career, Woodard has managed a wide range of departmental responsibilities and played a pivotal role in municipal operations, especially in emergency management, including the effective removal and disposal of debris following hurricane damage.”

According to the release, Woodard’s career spans over three decades, starting in Manatee County, where he served as a traffic management supervisor for eight years. He is a graduate of Manatee Community College and holds several professional certifications, including from the National Incident Management System.

A modest Woodard said he didn’t want to make a fuss, but when pressed to say what has been his proudest accomplishment, he said it is being part of a team in emergency situations.

“What I’m most proud of is the emergency management team,” Woodard said. “The chief (Cosby) is the incident commander, and I’m number two, we handle debris removal to get the island open. My department is boots on the ground first responders with police. My staff is a group of talented people.”

He said Bradenton Beach sets the standard for storm response.

“Because of the way we operate, the city gets FEMA money back. Shayne Thompson is part of our three-man team who takes on the FEMA aspect,” Woodard said. “We are the only city I know of, maybe in the state, that gets 90-100% reimbursement from FEMA. The chief has been doing this for 40 years, I’m 30 years, it’s great how well we work together to get people back into their homes quickly after a storm.”

Woodard attributed the teamwork among city departments as a contributing factor in the city’s progress.

“Here in Bradenton Beach, it’s always a team effort,” Woodard said. “The chief and mayor are very involved. Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) is there for legal support, and when a job goes out to bid the city clerk (Terri Sanclemente) is involved as well as the building official (Darin Cushing.)

Among other large projects, Woodard has been involved in the rebuilding of the city pier and the roof of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar building.

“Tom is looking at working with the chief to make sure he has what he needs,” Perry said. “I plan to meet

with Tom to go through the list of things the chief needs to effectively take that department forward and make sure the city is well-serviced and also for us to make sure we have a list of emergency projects before he leaves our city and helps set up a game plan.”

The commission voted unanimously to approve Cosby’s salary increase of $850 a week while serving as interim public works director.

The search for a full-time public works department head to replace Woodard will likely take place in July.

“We feel it’s important we write a very good advertisement for that position, and it’s going to take a little bit of effort because we’re not entirely sure of everything that role entails,” Perry said, noting the position has certification and reporting requirements.

“I would hope we would be able to advertise by July and maybe by the second meeting in August bring back recommendations,” Cosby said. “You have to remember also I have to do budgets for all the departments. It’s not just maintaining the day-to-day operations. I have to do their payroll, I have to pay their bills and develop the budget.”

“I don’t think it will be that easy to find someone with Tom’s qualifications,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “He’ll be missed.”

“This is another example of the employees working as a team,” Cosby said. “You have someone who can step in because we do work so closely together.”

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Longboat Key officials suggest traffic flow options for Coquina Beach

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

LONGBOAT KEY – Citing a study concluding that the 1.7-mile stretch of Gulf Drive from the Longboat Pass Bridge to Cortez Road is one of the most unpredictable in the region in terms of traffic expectations, Longboat Key Public Works Director Isaac Brownman asked the county to join the cities in finding solutions.

Brownman made a presentation to Manatee County commissioners at an April 30 joint meeting of Longboat Key officials and the county commission.

“The MPO (Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization) is conducting a congestion management plan update,” Brownman said. “And what they found was the Gulf Drive segment from Longboat Pass to Cortez Road is one of the most unreliable segments in the county – in the two-county region, in fact. And what they mean by unreliable segments – it’s not one of the most congested segments, we already know that – it’s that you can’t rely on the level of congestion. Sometimes it’s four times what you expect, sometimes it’s two times what you expect, sometimes it’s what you expect.”

He said that the top complaint in the town’s annual citizen’s survey is traffic congestion.

“We wanted to bring to the county’s attention, that the Town of Longboat Key is going to be embarking on these discussions with Bradenton Beach and we’d love the county to be at the table as well,” Brownman said.

Gate closure at Coquina Beach was brought up as one option to alleviate traffic congestion coming in and out of Longboat Key.

Brownman said a simple, cost-effective solution that will help with traffic is to close some of the access points at Coquina Beach, which is at the southernmost end of Bradenton Beach.

“The Coquina Beach parking lot is a very large beach parking lot with three access points. The center access points have a simple gate that can be shut,” he said. “That isolates each parking area from the other and keeps people who are in a long-standing queue from hopping into the southernmost access point and traveling 4/10ths of a mile to travel further north and jamming things up further.”

Brownman said when Manatee County park staff close those gates, there is a noticeable improvement in traffic flow.

“If that simple thing is done consistently throughout season from a certain time of day, it’s a significant cost-easy improvement from our perspective,” he said.

He said Longboat Key residents’ main concern is to get from Longboat Pass to the Cortez Bridge to get to the mainland.

“The FDOT is spending millions of dollars to upgrade Cortez Bridge and that will be a huge improvement,” he said. “They’re also planning the replacement of the Longboat Pass Bridge which, depending on which option they go with, will reduce the number of bridge openings and closings which contributes to the congestion as well.”

“Take a good hard look at the Bridge Street traffic circle,” he said. “This would be the perfect time to look at the Gulf Drive and Cortez Road intersection. Even though the state is doing a major bridge project, they’re not looking at the end point intersection and how to improve that at this time.”

Longboat Key Vice Mayor Mike Haycock said much of the traffic congestion in season is due to employees of Longboat Key businesses coming to the area to work.

“To reiterate, in those 90 days of hell during season that everybody’s talking about, the people of Longboat Key decide in those 90 days not to go north,” he said. “Not to go to Anna Maria Island for dinner like we do many other times. For the workers that live in Manatee County who are working on Longboat Key, it can cause them an extra 1.5 to two hours to get to work, so any help you can give to support some additional studies to see what else we can do would really be helpful.”

City may charge commercial boats to use dock

City may charge commercial boats to use dock

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – The free dockage for commercial vessels at city docks may soon come at a cost.

A discussion of the $5,000 cost to replace several floats lost on the floating docks during high surf in April turned to the city’s overall cost of dock maintenance and the possibility of charging a fee for businesses using the docks.

“Five thousand dollars every time that happens, that’s a lot of money,” Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce said at the May 2 city commission meeting. “This is happening more than once, and it seems like it’s going to be a problem and we’re going to be chasing these floats constantly every time there’s a storm or a lot of wave action on that pier.”

Mayor John Chappie said he had received an update from Duncan Seawall General Manager Steve Porter that the replacement floats were on order.

“It’s a tough area to have the floating dock structure in there because it does get a lot of wave action,” Chappie said. “It’s totally exposed to the northern part of Sarasota Bay. I’ll try to get an update on cost and maintenance, what we need to do to prevent some of this damage that’s been happening and try to mitigate the maintenance costs.”

City Attorney Ricinda Perry said she agreed with Scaccianoce and said there should be an established maintenance program, then suggested that commissioners reopen previous discussions about charging commercial vessels to use the city dock.

“What I’d like to revisit, and we had talked about it but didn’t move it forward, was perhaps a charge for those commercial entities who are using the floating dock for their business at no cost to them,” Perry said.

Perry said that she has spoken with people who rent out slips at a minimum of $2,500 per month.

“If you start making a collection from the people who are running their business off of our pier at no cost, you could start to set aside maintenance money to keep that dock in great shape,” Perry said.

She said such charges would give the city the ability to collect funds for future maintenance but also regulate and know if commercial captains are properly licensed.

“We have under $300,000 sitting there for the entire pier, which isn’t enough to handle the wear and tear which the mayor and I have personally observed from these commercial companies who come in, they do not use anything to protect their boat from slamming into the structure and they take chunks out on the side,” Perry said. “We can’t help the storm vessels that come right under the floating dock and pop off floats and destroy the structure, but I do believe we should consider revisiting this concept of regulating through cost the people who are coming in and using our asset.”

Perry said that if someone on an uninsured vessel gets injured on the dock, the boat operator may not have proper insurance to cover losses.

“I’ve been told some of these commercial entities do not have licensed captains running the vessels and so those who do have the proper insurance and do have the proper captains are charging about $50 a tour,” she said. “Whereas those who don’t, their overhead is less and they’re charging $20-$25. They’re putting us at risk. We do have insurance to cover things that happen, but I believe it’s something the commission should consider revisiting again and we need to make sure we have the funds to take care of that.”

“We really should look at this again,” Chappie said. “We are that destination now and we’re getting more and more people to use the facility and the infrastructure that we have developed there.”

Chappie said the discussion will be put on a commission work meeting agenda in about a month.